Morning journal and courier., 1887-03-08
ANOTHER DERBY HEARING.

Would Benefit the City-The AdvO-
 eates Close Their Side of the Matter
 Against as Regards Freight Rates
 -The Opponents of the Sale to be Heard Next.
 The adjourned hearing on the proposition of the Housatonic Valley Railroad company to purchase the city's interest in the Derby railroad for $175, ,O00 took place yesterday ! afternoon in the committee rooms at the City Hall. The hearing was announced to com 1 mence at o'clock and the members of the l Board of Finance were all in their seats a | few minutes after the City Hall clock had | chirhed out that hour. The attendance at | the hearing, taking into consideration the
 hour of the hearing, was slight. Ex-Mayor Harmanus M Welch was introduced to the | committee and sworn. He talked on the general proposition of the city disposing of | the fLittle Derby" q believe the time has | come," said Mr. Welch, "when the best inter- | ests of the city would be served in the dis posal of it's interests in the road. The exten-
 tion of the road, however, should be the
 main consideration. It would be of no use | to sell without this. This opening up of the | beneficial to New Haven and her business l interests. All things being made fair and | equal I think it would be good thing to the
 city to take this proposition. The cities and towns in my opinion have no business with
 railroad property. They have no time to
 mess to attend to. Taking all things into | due consideration I think the price proposed a fair and just one. The Derby railroad now
 owes the city over $500, ,000." MT. Welch was
 asked by Attorney Tyler if in his opinion
 legislation would have to be sought before | o1o 14 l. T. "I hardly think that the legisla- I ture has anything to do with | the selling of the road. I don't believe there would be any trouble regarding this point, ! however" Attorney filling questioned Mr. Welch as to whether or not the new town farm had been bought without permis- sion from the legislature, and whether the old farm would be disposed of without simi- lar permission. MT. Welch answered in the affirmative to both. MT. filling thought the Derby matter should be considered in the same light. MT. Welch further said: q think the Housatonic Valley railroad com pany all right as 1 can learn. The price should not be the only matter considered. matter of $35,0 ,000 or $50,000 should not hinder us from selling. The sale should be made so as to secure additional freight facilities to New Haven. When we do sell, do 1t at fair price, and at the same time to the eity's best interests. I have no other
 
 tonic Valley railroad or the Derby road any moro than any citizen"
 President Wilbur F. Day of the New Ha- ven National bank spoke favorably on the proposition of disposing of the city's interest in the Derby 'I think it is fair and equal one" said MT. Day, "and I think it is very desirable for the city to negotiate with them. The extension of the Derby would give to merchants of New Haven a large field for the sale of their merchandise and would part ly compensate them for the loss of the Naug atuck. think now is the time to sell, when it would most benefit the city. The proba- bilities are that there will be much money laid out here in New Haven by the New Eng land. Take, for instance, the Consolidated road. The great benefit that this corporation has been to the city has been underestimated. It has located its shops here and annually through this source large amounts of money are left in the city. The immediate railroad advantage of this proposition would be to bring corporation like the New York and New England into the city. It is also probable that shops connected with this large system would be located here. I have no pecuniary interest in the Housatonic Val ley, the Derby or the New England" In answer to questions MT Day said ''The Derby should be sold to the Housatonic in prefer ence to any other corporation or person. I fully agree with Judge L. B. Morris as re- gards the price that we ught not to care too much for the price in this matter. Two sim pie things I should like to see done for the benefit of New Haven are the extension of the Derby and the assessments on manufacturers abolished the latter of which is penny wise and pound foolish I should still be of the opinion that the road should be sold, al- though the Derby had earned say $25, ,OOO last year, that the earnings were increasing each year and that the indebtedness is over $300,000. Even though.this was the condition l would favor the hitching on to the New England. I also agree with Judge Morris regarding the putting of the road into the hands of a trustee until the conditions were complied with on the part of the Housaton- ic"
 MT. Tyler-Supposing that for six years the earnings of the Derby railroad had been substar tially the same from year to year, and during four of those six years the road had been unable to meet it's fixed charges, and that for the past two years all fixed charges and the keeping of the road in con- dition had been paid off and 5000 added to it's improvement list would your opinion be at all changed?
 MT. Day-It would not.
 President Henry s. Dawson of the New Haven Water company was next sworn and then stated that he had been connected with the Derby road more less since it's organi zation up to about 1881 and had been the first president of the road. He said: ''I have read with great pleasure what Judge Morris said at the Friday evening hearing. l en- dorse everything that he said It isn't so much the price we should get for the road as the future advantage to be derlved. I con- ceived it as carrying out the purpose on which the Little Derby was originally started the extension to open up this western sec tion. It would not be at all advisable to part with the road unless the extension could be secured. The city can in my opinion make the sale on such conditions and subject to such agreements that an independent line can always be maintained into the city" MT. Daw- son stated he had small interest in the Derby and the Housatonic and had subscribed as he did to everything that appertained to the ad- vancement of the city. MT. Dawson further said in answer to questions: "1 have lost track of the financial condition of the Derby. If the Derby is not extended it will in my opinion be very long time before it will be of any direct value. regard the western as the material thing. The city should get the best price they could from the parties that will carry the road west. hope that you gentlemen and the members of the board of common council will make a search ing and thorough investigation into the mat ter
 Mir Benjamin H. Douglass, the State street merchant, thought the proposed sale and extension of the ''Little Derby'' great thing for the merchants of the city to have western connection. '1 have no pecuniary interest in the road" sa aid MT. Douglass. eff the extension can be carried out, as I have no doubt it will, it will be one of the greatest mercantile advantages ever offered our business men. l have felt severely the handicap under which the citys merchants are laboring in disposing of her merchandise. The city is discriminated against and is now no competing point. The extension would open up a large section where our merchants could secnTe business" ;"
 General George H. Ford, the Chapel street jeweler, next gave some highly interesting points regarding the effect on the retail trade of New Haven if the proposed change and ex tension were made. Said General Ford: ''In my judgment the extension would be of great value to the retail merchants of the city. It is well known fact that New Haven is unfortunately situated in procur ing trade from the surrounding towns. The Derby road is really, as it is now, the only back country road we have. It brings us more customers than any of the other roads. The growth of the city demands this exten- sion of the Derby. It is now a good time and opportunity for the city to go out of the railroad business. I have no pecuniary in terest in the roads. Am perfectly conf. dent that when this much needed